


Celestial Liberation

by Kokoai



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, Human Mikleo (Tales of Zestiria), M/M, Sorey is literally a star
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 03:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12999090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kokoai/pseuds/Kokoai
Summary: Stars, luminous spheres dotting the sky. Small twinkles of light that fascinated Mikleo. His mother had taught him plenty about them, but in all the stories, all the fantasies, nothing had ever mentioned an event like this.





	Celestial Liberation

Only ten years old, Mikleo had been officially adopted by Uncle Michael. On the same day Muse had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. Telling that news to a child would never go well.

Mikleo ignored his uncle and ran out the front door of their apartment. He ran as far as his little legs would carry him. Not an ounce of attention given towards where he ran, but he found himself standing before a stream. If not for starlight he would likely be in the water.

His legs trembled under his weight and he collapsed at the edge. Gaze skimmed across the water streaming past. Bubbling the only thing he heard. He pulled his knees to his chest with a sniffle.

Uncle Michael would be furious. Muse would be too. Mikleo needed time to handle himself before he could face them again. He’d never see Michael as his father, Muse would forever more be his dying mother. Beneath all of that, he felt lonely. They’d only just moved here. There hadn’t been time for Mikleo to make a single friend he could trust with this.  

His only solace under that twinkling sky were the stars. Muse had taught him all about stars, how each had a name and could be used to guide lost souls home. He scanned the sky for one particular star, however he'd never been able to find it without her. All he know was to find the brightest star at the right hand tip of an horizontal crescent moon constellation. Beneath his tears he managed to find it still.  

His hands came together atop his knees while he struggled to remember the chant Muse taught him.

“By the will of Shepherd's past, O holy light, if the Lord's will it, grant a single request,” he paused for a deep breath, and to settle on exactly what his wish was “heal mom, or at least give me someone I can tell everything to.”

Guilt would wreck him if he didn’t ask for his mother’s health, but more than anything he wanted company, a confidant, someone he could trust with all his secrets.

Stories, grandiose as he knew they were, all mentioned _something_ happening to signal the wish had been heard, but nothing around Mikleo changed. No sudden wind, no fish splashing, or deer running. Everything was stagnant.

Somehow Mikleo kept hoping. Praying that anything had heard him. His fingers untangled one by one. His chest heaved with each breath.

He sighed and rose to his feet in the same moment that a blinding flash stunned him.

There was a ringing in his ears that warbled and fluctuated in pitch until it vanished. In the silence, Mikleo finally turned towards the stream to see a cloud of light above the water.

Blue, red, yellow, green, and white mixed together like the galaxy pictures he'd seen in Muse’s books. The cloud swayed and flowed around, all while that ringing grew worse and worse.

Mikleo covered his ears when he swore the sound would deafen him. Now that the sound was muffled, he could hear… words?

“Mmm this is a lot harder than gramps made it sound.” A voice spoke, except the words were inside his head, but not in his voice.

Then the cloud flickered and rippled before twisting around itself in thin spindles until it formed the image of a small boy slightly larger than Mikleo. After another flash they boy had pale blonde hair and emerald eyes that sparkled as bright as a thousand stars. He hovered over the water as he shot Mikleo a wide toothy smile.

Then the boy took slow steps forwards, shaking like a newborn deer until he reached the rocks Mikleo stood on. His hand found Mikleo's shoulder, who hadn't expected such weight. In the moment before his hand left, Mikleo felt an intense weight in his soul. He would ignore that once he could see how dazzling the boy’s smile was.

“I'm… uh well I don't really have a name. But I'm here to keep you company.” the boy spoke energetically.

“This… what are you?” Mikleo blurted as he realized, accepted that this now human looking boy had been that cloud.

“I'm that star you wished on, silly!”

“Get real. Mom told me stars are just big space rocks.” Mikleo’s arms crossed and he huffed loud.

“Well yeah that's what we physically are, but we’re a lot more than just dumb rocks.” the boy's arms flew out to his sides.

From there Mikleo had asked little more about the boy, but had taken it upon himself to name this star Sorey. There hadn't been any objections.

That would be the first of many nights spent underneath a sky missing one star.

___________

The Celestial Record clattered to the ground as Mikleo sprang to his feet.

“No, no that can't be right!” His argument did nothing to phase the smirking face next to him.

“Dude, don't you think I know a thing or two about the world?”

“Oh yeah big shot celestial body. I got it three years ago when I was fifteen. But you're going to tell me these people who spent seventy years researching this are wrong?”

“Seventy years versus… uh I think I'm thirteen-thousand now?”

“Don't go throwing the age card around! You said yourself you're a baby.”

“A baby that knows more than you ever will.” Sorey snorted between words. His long blonde hair whipped around his shoulders.

Mikleo spun on his heels to hide his blush. He muttered a ‘whatever’ before recollecting his book and plopped back beside Sorey. His focus wasn’t entirely on the words, and he shifted constantly to a point that he was leaning on Sorey’s shoulder.

Despite the usual night time chill, Mikleo never felt it when he was cuddled up to Sorey. Probably star energy, so Sorey claimed. Either way, it was something to be grateful for. Until it lead to Mikleo spacing out.

Words blurred into ink blots that bleed into the lamp light while the starlight around them faded out of existence. He hadn’t moved, but he was no longer seeing the book. Something rumbled in his chest. A warbled sound as if he were underwater pounded against his ears. His mind went blank in an attempt to ignore everything before…

A single tear rolled down his cheek, leaving a burning trail.

“Sorey…” His voice shattered. Sorey hummed before he wrapped an arm around Mikleo’s shoulders. Years of spending night after night together had taught him the ever so subtle body language that not even Edna had been able to notice.

“I know… I shouldn’t ask…” Mikleo curled his knees against his chest.

No matter how many times Sorey saw him in that position, it never hurt any less.

“You wanna know if a human can become like me.” There was no question. Sorey had known for a long time. More fragmented and abandoned attempts to ask than could be counted.

Mikleo’s breath hitched. His arms coiled around his knees and he buried his face in them. Eleven years since Muse had been diagnosed. No doctor expected her to live this long, but she was strong. The strongest person Mikleo knew, but no one could fight forever. Her latest prognosis was only a few months. In each palpitation in his chest, he felt his hope vanishing. Uncle Michael had exhausted his savings keeping her alive, while everyone prayed for some miracle cure.

Nothing would come, and now they had to accept that.

“I’m sorry Mikleo. We’re not… we don’t even understand how we come into existence. We just sort of spring into being.” Sorey bit his lip. How he wished he could have said something better. Gramps had known of a supposed way, but that was a myth at best.

“The sun’s going to be up soon.” Mikleo coldly stated. There were traces of gold peeking over the horizon. Sorey took a few moments longer than normal untangling from Mikleo, and then a few extra moments gazing at how those beginning rays made Mikleo’s now silver hair sparkle as brilliantly as any star. Surely, if he were facing Sorey, there’d be a pair of violent eyes radiant and shimmering with entire galaxies within them.

Words danced on Sorey’s tongue. Not a single one spoken. Mikleo never turned to face him, never gave him their parting kiss, before his form flickered away.

_________________________

Winter had come in full force, snow and ice leading to Camlann University canceling classes despite the week being final exams. Rescheduling would be quite the ordeal, but Mikleo couldn’t care less about that.

For the last two days he’d remained holed up beside Muse. Her condition had worsened so much that every doctor was sure she’d pass any day now. Not a hair had been seen from Michael in the last week, but Mikleo would be damned to leave Muse alone in her final hours.

Staying there had meant he hadn’t seen Sorey in days. No, it’d been weeks now. The night Mikleo turned twenty-three was the last time they had a night together.With the harsh temperatures and crazy wind, staying outside till sunrise was a death wish. While Sorey could manifest inside buildings, it took far more energy and left him barely able to speak.

So when there was a shimmering mist beside Mikleo, he swore he was having a vivid dream. Sorey’s hair had gone back to brown, he never could decide between brown or the pale blond, and now reached the bottom of his ribs. Though Mikleo swore it was to match how his own hair had become a poofy cloud tamed into some variety of high ponytail. He needed to dye it again, but his roots showing wasn’t even a thought in his mind.

When the all too familiar ringing that always accompanied Sorey’s appearance, Mikleo knew this was reality. If it were a dream, Muse wouldn’t be pale as the sheets she laid on.

“What are you doing here?” Mikleo sniffled. He spared Sorey a quick glance.

“You love her more than even you realize.” His voice was low. Figuring out how to say what he needed to should have been done before he came, but he wanted to see Mikleo more than anything. The thought of whether his next actions would be accepted made Sorey’s being tremble.

“Am I putting off that much energy?”

“No. I just know you.”

“Sorey please. This is hard enough.” Sorey bit his tongue then. Mikleo hadn’t looked at him again. The air in the room told everything needed. Beyond that, Sorey cursed his ability to see into the fabric of the universe, to see a person’s life laid out in flashing images, and worse of all, seeing that dark empty abyss where it all stopped.

From the very beginning, the moment Mikleo had made his wish, Sorey had been watching Muse’s life, he knew her better than Mikleo or Michael ever could. That only made Sorey’s core pulse even more. Gramps had told him over and over how stupid this idea was. Why would he risk his existence on a myth? Only a single answer had come to Sorey. His answer transcended words. In the vastness of human and alien languages, he’d never been able to find one for it.

Humans had their concept of love, but this was something far more intense. Something a celestial body shouldn’t be able to feel, yet Sorey felt it in every atom that formed his body. He pressed a closed fist to his heated chest.

Mikleo’s lower lip was pulled back, his hands clutching the sheets, his face redder than any sun, and his cheeks stained with tears past and present. That sight, that existence was what Sorey wanted to fix out of everything within the entire universe. Of all things that he was responsible for, this was the one that gave his existence meaning, made him feel like an important part of the universe.

This wasn’t the first human he had grown close to, nor the first he had come to love. This was the first human that made him consider this action. Falling existed as a taboo term among celestial creatures. A word that they dared to never speak to one another. Gramps had never said it to Sorey, yet he knew it all the same. In the same way a fish knew how to swim, or a human to breath, celestial bodies knew how to fall. Choosing to do so, however, came with immense consequences.

“Would you let me… try something?” Sorey finally croaked. Everything in him screamed not to do this. Self preservation would be the first things he would sacrifice.

“What… are you saying.” Mikleo’s voice screeched like a harpy’s.

“I can’t guarantee this will work. But… I might be able to make her your guiding light instead.” Sorey felt himself stiffen. He focused so much on his words, on picking the right ones, that he could barely hold his form.

“You can’t. Isn’t that exactly what your forbidden to do?” Mikleo sat straight in his chair. He’s hands hadn’t left Muse’s bed, but he stared Sorey down with those dull, broken violet eyes.

“There’s no one that can stop us. I just have to be ready to shoulder the consequences if it fails.”

“If you implode…” Mikleo pulled his hands into his lap, nails digging into his palms. His chin touched his chest.

“Yeah, I would kill her, and everyone here. And then some.” Sorey spoke so matter-of-fact that he wa surprised. Although his mind was full of every little thing that would have to go right for this to work.

“Could you really live with that?”

“Probably not.”

“Then why do something so stupid!” Mikleo shot out of his chair and  stormed over to Sorey.

“Because so long as I have you supporting me, I know I won’t fail.” Sorey smiled. Flashed starlight that left Mikleo swaying.

A heavy silence fell between them. During all the discussion Muse hadn’t stirred, not that Mikleo expected her to. Everything kept running through his mind again and again. Weighing the pros and cons.

“What would you need from me?” Mikleo muttered. There was no certainty behind that question.

Sorey held a hand towards Mikleo along with a small soft smile.

“Keep me grounded. Don’t let me forget why I’m doing this.” Nothing but pure sincerity sat behind those words. Mikleo’s heart flipped with both anticipation and fear, but feeling Sorey’s warm hand against his let him breathe a little easier.

They took deep breaths together after Mikleo had discreetly shut the door. Sorey had said nothing else, hadn’t given Mikleo any warning signs.

That left him wondering if he should he panic about Sorey’s form flickering, or the sudden burst of heat around them? He dared a glance at Sorey to see a pure white, formless yet ethereal sparkling cloud beside him. Somehow he still had Sorey’s hand though.

He swore an earthquake started beneath them, but somewhere in the pounding against his chest he realized this feeling of utter despair, like gravity crushing him, was Sorey slipping. Sorey had made it seem like if Mikleo just held his hand and believed in him this would work, but it wasn’t, and Mikleo panicked.

What could he do though? What would bring Sorey back? What could save everyone?

The only idea Mikleo had was to squeeze Sorey’s hand, picture that star in his mind, and wish.

That crushing despair wasn’t leaving though, at least not until a solid weight crashed against Mikleo’s shoulder. When his eyes had closed he had no clue, but now they shot open to see Sorey, tan skin, brown hair, and half lidded green eyes slumped against him.

Mikleo cradled Sorey against his chest before looking over to Muse. A few seconds later, he heard the alarming beeps from the monitors. Before he could think, nurses rushed in and rushed him and Sorey out, thankfully not a single bit of attention paid to Sorey.

Sorey had always been weightless, a clear sign that he never had a truly physical form, but now, he was heavy. Not that Mikleo couldn’t handle the weight, but he hadn’t been prepared for it. He’d thrown Sorey’s arm around his shoulders and was doing his best to walk them out of the hospital without drawing attention.

As the reached the front doors, Mikleo sighed with relief. No one had said a word, and getting back to his car was simple enough. One handedly opening the passenger door had been a little struggle, but he’d done it and gotten Sorey safely in the seat before rounding to the other side.

Giving the car time to warm up also meant time for Sorey to wake up. Despite the guilt welling up from having left Muse’s side, he knew without a doubt that he had been there for her last moment, and from here he could see that star…

“Mik…” Sorey coughed, nearly hitting his head on the windshield when he lurched forward.

“Sshh it’s okay. We’re in my car.” The strangeness of that statement wasn’t lost on Mikleo. He’d never been anywhere except outside with Sorey.

Sorey shifted to see the stars before slumping back in the seat.

“So did you… is she…” Mikleo knew the answer, but he wanted confirmation nonetheless.

“Yeah… she’s taken my place.”

There wasn’t anything more Mikleo could say. He wanted to thank Sorey, but words felt flat, unable to truly express his gratitude. Sorey had been in and out of consciousness during the drive anyway.

“Are you upset?” Sorey had asked during one bout of wakefulness.

“Why would I be?”

“Well I’m not your star anymore.” Sorey’s faced flushed. Mikleo had only seen it in his peripheral but that was enough to cause his driving to swerve for a split second.

“Idiot. You’re… my fallen star now.” That had to be the cheesiest thing Mikleo had ever uttered in his entire life, but he didn’t regret it.

Sorey hadn’t responded before sleeping again. That had been the last time Sorey spoke until after they trudged inside Mikleo’s apartment.

Not a care had been given to where Mikleo threw his keys or coat. He only wanted to ensure Sorey was okay. He’d laid Sorey down on his bed and turned to get a glass of water when he was caught by the wrist.

“Can you just lay here with me?” How could Mikleo refuse? For everything they had done, they had never been able to cuddle like this.

Mikleo settled against Sorey’s chest, noticing every little thing. Sorey had a heartbeat, he had a scent, his fingertips were rough yet soft, and only his eyes held any trace of starlight. His eyes sparkled the same as always and Mikleo couldn’t help leaning up, but then he stopped himself.

Through that wish, Sorey had been bound to him, in a sort of unofficial contract. With him human now, would he still want to stay?

“Talk to me. You’re getting that look again.” Sorey hadn’t a chance to actually see Mikleo’s face when that expression set.

“You… can do whatever with your new life…”

Sorey laughed, breathy and strained, but a laugh no less.

“Mikleo, I gave up my celestial life, and you think I’d just turn my back on you?” When he put it like that, there was nothing that could prevent the rising blush on Mikleo’s cheeks.

Mikleo buried his head further into Sorey’s chest, feeling immensely embarrassed for having said anything now. They’d spent sixteen years together. Sorey knew every curve of Mikleo’s body, and Mikleo knew what forms Sorey preferred.

A hand ran up Mikleo’s spine, and he shivered. He knew this touch, but even in his dreams it never felt this warm, nor solid. Then there were fingers under his chin, lifting his head up until he was trapped in those green eyes.

“Will you kiss me already?” Sorey’s smiled softer than ever. Mikleo had gone wide eyed, but once he calmed, he shifted further onto Sorey.

They both leaned in ever so slowly, breathes multiplying with each heartbeat. With less than a centimeter between them, there was a small shock that sent them both back a bit. Mikleo brought a hand up to brush Sorey’s hair back, and they came together again, noses rested against each other. Sorey let out a pleading breath, and Mikleo pushed himself to close that gap.

That night Sorey would be seeing stars.


End file.
